Public Policy Institute, Western Carolina University

Franklin residents invited to voice future wishes for their town

Community summit answers could help other parts of region

Want to go? What: Renewing Franklin: Restoring the Community through Citizen Participation and Civic EngagementWhen: 2-5 p.m. SundayWhere: Macon Bank Corporate Headquarters, intersection of East Main Street and the U.S. 23 bypassSCHEDULE: Speakers include a welcome by Mayor Joe Collins at 2:15 p.m.; Claudia Bryant of the WCU political science department, speaking on civic activity, at 2:20 p.m.; and Virgil L. Smith, president and publisher of the Asheville Citizen-Times, on the media and civic engagement, at 2:45 p.m.

By Jill Ingram
STAFF WRITERpublished: February 10, 2005 6:00 am

FRANKLIN - Residents of Macon County are invited to a community summit Sunday to answer the question, What does Franklin need?The answers could offer clues for all of Western North Carolina, said Gordon Mercer, director of the Western Carolina University Public Policy Institute, who is sponsoring the summit."We're hoping to see groups across the region work more effectively together," Mercer said.The Public Policy Institute, with Franklin resident Bob Scott, organized the summit. The hope is that residents will voice their plans and hopes for Franklin, and also get ideas about different volunteer opportunities in the area."One of the things that we are lacking is a vision and a plan for the future," Scott said.Scott, who is a town alderman but is helping with the summit as a private citizen, said outcomes of the summit would be compiled and offered to local government representatives, who have been invited to the event.Mercer said he expects topics such as downtown development, parking and the Highlands corridor to surface as topics. He said attendees would probably include residents and business owners, specifically downtown business owners.Opportunities to volunteer are a big focus of the event."We get the perspective that a lot of citizens in Franklin want to get more involved," said Mercer, who lives in Macon County.Volunteer organizations will be at the summit with information about what they do and how to help.Scott hopes that some sort of vision about how Franklin's future for the next five, 10 or 15 years reveals itself at the summit."This is as much a listening thing as it is an information thing," Scott said.It is the goal of WCU's Public Policy Institute to address key issues in communities and involve citizens and leaders in developing policy.The Franklin event comes after a November summit called "Renewing America," which focused on citizen involvement and community engagement and included more than 400 community leaders, faculty, students and residents.Scott was so impressed with the event, he wanted to help organize something on a local level.Mercer, who is an associate dean of research and graduate studies and a professor of political science, said communities are stronger when more residents get involved.They often have stronger economies, lower crime rates and better health and education systems.

 ---excerpt from Asheville Citizen-Times